Travelogue – Madrid

So what do you do when your summer vacation is behind you and your next big vacation is months away? You look through your travel pics! There is no better way to reminisce about your vacations than looking through the memorable pictures that you’ve taken during your trip. It’s a great feeling, and hearing about different destinations from your friends is also one of the best ways to get you in the mood for your next vacation. In fact, my friend has just come back from Barbados and had made sure that she had booked one of these villas in barbados before heading over. And wow!! I think I have just found my next vacation destination. I have no words, and the beach looked amazing too. So, why wouldn’t I want to go there? So, I think I have some planning to do. But for now, just looking back on my last vacation makes me happy. Here are a few of my iPhone photos from my early July trip to Spain. My first stop was Madrid. In an effort to pack light I didn’t bring my regular camera. It would have been great to have, but I made the right decision not to lug it around.

See/Do

Prado Museum

Royal Palace

Plaza Mayor

Retiro Park

Gran Via

Eat (caveat – I didn’t do any resto research prior to my trip, so this list definitely isn’t comprehensive)

Mercado San Miguel

San Gines (for Churros)

El Brillante Cafe (for calamari sandwiches)

El Sur (for decent service and sangria)

La Latina neighborhood (for tapas)

Tips for Getting Around

There’s so much more to see/do when you only visit a city for a couple of days, but here is what I learned on my trip to Madrid:

1. Doing a walking tour is a great way to see the city and learn about its history. A walking tour is also a good way to survey tourist attractions you want to loop back to and ask your tour guide/fellow tour participants about good restaurant recommendations.
2. The metro is pretty easy to navigate in Madrid if you’re a regular subway rider. Just get a metro map and city map and you’ll be good to go.
3. Traveling to Madrid in early July is super-hot…but I actually enjoyed it! It wasn’t as humid as it tends to be in DC while I was there. If the heat isn’t a big deal to you, just remember to stay hydrated and wear sunscreen if you travel during the summer months.
4. You won’t see everything, but two days is ample time to get a flavor of Madrid when there’s so much to see in a country like Spain. Hop on the Renfe or take a quick flight to go to your other destinations in Spain.